1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to water flotation devices designed to support a human for recreational and/or exercise purposes.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are several types of flotation devices for the pool and other various types of bodies of water. These devices typically include floating chairs, inflatable rafts, inner-tubes and large rigid foam pieces.
These flotation devices are cumbersome, rigid and limit one's movement in the water. For instance, devices requiring inflation necessitate the need for either an external air pump or a person to manually inflate the device with air from their lungs. This proves to be cumbersome and in the latter case, exhausting. Once the device is inflated, pin hole leaks can develop which allow air to escape causing them to deflate and gradually become less effective in their continued use, at which point the flotation device must either be re-inflated or the hole must be patched. Other drawbacks to existing flotation devices are that they hold the majority of one's body above the surface of the water which reduces the effect of the water on the body. This would allow one's body to become very hot while also greatly reducing the movement of the body for propulsion and/or exercise purposes.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,520,561, issued to Langenohl on May 28, 1996, discloses making a pool float from a generally rectangular sheet of netting which is deformed to form sleeve segments in which a foam tube can be inserted. The shape of the flotation device that is obtained is limited.
Swim Ways Corp. of Virginia Beach, Va. markets a chair-like flotation device known as the FANNY FLOATER. In this design, permanently U-shaped foam block having a rectangular-shaped cross-section is fitted with three indentations which serve to hold in position three sleeves that are positioned around the foam block. A seat is provided by having a section of material extend from the left arm to the right arm and one section from the rear of the U-shaped block extending forward, thus forming a T-shaped seat. This design is limited to this particular shape. Further, the foam block is permanently shaped so that the device cannot be stored easily.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,571,036, issued to Hannigan on Nov. 5, 1996, discloses a flexible tube floating sling. In this design, a very long single foam tube is folded about itself in a U-shape and inserted in a pair of sleeves that support a sling-like structure. Again, this method of manufacture limits the shape that can be obtained.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,307,527, issued to Schober on May 3, 1994, discloses a pool chair adapted to be partially submerged in a swimming pool. The chair is designed to rest along the perimeter of the pool so that it is held in an upright, stationary position in order to allow a user to sit on the seat with the user's lower torso and legs submerged in the water while the user's head is above the water. Not withstanding the fact that the pool chair overcomes the limitation of holding the majority of one's body above the surface of the water, nonetheless, it is accomplished with a cumbersome and rigid construction which limits one's mobility throughout the pool due to the chair's dependency on the edge of the pool.
With respect to inner-tube type recreational devices, U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,885, issued to Karl on Mar. 22, 1994, discloses an attachable/detachable hammock-like seat designed to engage the central opening of the inner-tube to support users as they sit across the inner-tube's central opening. A user's head, arms and shoulders are over one end of the tube, with the feet over the other end. Unlike the Schober patent, this invention holds the majority of one's body above the surface of the water. In addition, the inflatable inner-tube device is subject to pin hole leaks which would allow air to escape, thus presenting a problem to the user; either re-inflate the inner-tube or patch the hole for continued use.
It would be an improvement on the current art to create a flotation device that is not cumbersome, rigid or limits one's movement in the water while holding the majority of one's body below the surface of the water. A benefit of holding one's body below the surface of the water would be to increase the effect of the water on the body such as preventing one's body from becoming very hot and to also increase the movement of the body for propulsion and/or exercise purposes. A device that overcomes the shortcomings as just described for a flotation device is not disclosed in the prior art.